Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Monochrome ~ UAE

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Photography is an endless learning process. A different processing technique, different light settings, different composition, I just seem to learn something new every week. Sometimes it’s not something new but a different inspiration, a different vision.

This is why, I very often go back through my archives, browse through my Lightroom catalog and rework on older photos with a different perspective.

I decided to check out some of the photos of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque I took in Abu Dhabi, UAE a year ago. Since it was shot in midday and most dominant colors were the white of the marble and the deep blue of the sky, I decided to try a black and white conversion, bringing up details and enhancing the contrast between light and shadow.

After a few hours of work, I was very pleased with the results, my favorite being the one featured above. Hope you enjoy them as much as I did working on them (click on the photos for a larger preview).

So which one is your favorite? Do you prefer the B&W version or the full colored Photo Essay I posted earlier? Share in the comments section!

[…] If you’ve liked these photos, why not check another version I edited recently: The Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Monochrome: Beauty in Black and White!All information taken from the official website of Abu Dhabi Tourism […]

I thought for sure I was going to pick the black and white until I saw the color photos. Now I can’t decide. I love them both for different reasons. The black and white feel other-wordly. The color show opulence. Both are completely amazing.

Thank you very much Gev!
An easy answer for your dilemma is: B&W works well in shots with a lot of contrast (like taken in midday sun with harsh shadows), or shots with a lot of textures. It also works well when you want to help the viewer focus on the story/mood by stripping away any distraction, especially colors.

[…] Unlike most cathedrals in Spain, construction of this cathedral had to await the conquest of the last Arab Kingdom: the Nasrid kingdom of Granada in 1492. Queen Isabella immediately ordered the building of a new cathedral that was to be located on the site of one the city’s main mosques. […]